Who knows what evil lies within the heart of juicy tropical fruits? (Photo by sutteerug/Thinkstock)
Roving reporter Piet E. Jones serves up the latest in Richmond food news.
A working vacation
If you stayed in town over the holiday weekend, you probably noticed how many places had closed their doors for the week. Many staff went on vacation. One team, that of Fat Dragon (1200 N. Boulevard), was hard at work: The new floors should spiff the place up a bit, but it’s the menu tweaks that might catch a few people’s eyes. Some new wine and beer choices are in store, and just a few changes were made to some of their favorite dishes. Now you can get their Basil Beef or seafood extravaganza Enter The Dragon (the spicy option is amazing) served up gluten-free.
Lose some, win some
RVA lost two restaurants during the past week or so, at least temporarily. Don’t Look Back (2929 W. Cary St.) suffered an after-hours fire that severely damaged their kitchen on July 1. The cause is unknown, and it looks like the hopping taco joint will be out of commission for a while, according to owner Hamooda Shami, who adds, “Tough to say how long we will be closed, but I'd estimate at least six months.”
Richmond’s longtime Jamaican favorite The Jerk Pit (2713 W. Broad) quietly shut its doors last week. No word on why they closed, but Joe Kiatsuranon, of neighboring Sabai, has big plans for the space.
Joe Kmetz, a former partner of The Flying Pig and Asado, is striking out on his own with The Shaved Duck (15408 Westchester Commons Way). Slated to open sometime this fall, Kmetz is planning on serving “modern American dishes with a Southern flair using local ingredients.”
A postcard from Asheville
Owen Lane, formerly of The Magpie (now closed) and Vagabond (700 E. Broad St.), has landed in Asheville, North Carolina. Lane has joined the team of Foothills Meats, a food truck and butcher business, in anticipation of its new restaurant/bar/butcher shop opening this fall. None of Owen’s famous lobster corn dogs are slated to appear, but there will be tasty burgers, dogs and crispy fries cooked in tallow.
A couple of festivals
Yes, it’s Hanover Tomato Festival time this Saturday at Pole Green Park in Mechanicsville. For something a little more adult in the way of beverages, head over to Hardywood (2410 Ownby Lane) on Sunday from 2 to 6 p.m. for the brewery's second annual Love on Tap festivities, benefiting Virginia Pride.
News From Beyond
Sushinomics
That tuna roll might be costing you a bit more this year. Despite low inflation, the price of sushi is rising at over twice the rate of general food inflation, depending on where you live. According to the Bloomberg Sushinomics Index, tuna rolls went up 2.6 percent nationally, mainly driven by the cost of the fish itself. In Miami they spiked 10 percent.
Feeling hot, hot, hot
Possibly borne out of the deprivation of the Great Depression, Appalachian cooks unable to afford real cinnamon turned to a cheaper substitute — Red Hots candies. Imparting color and that unmistakable heat, Red Hots are still used to this day in everything from pies to apple butters. A true life hack.
Diverting the waste stream
America has a food problem: It’s estimated that nearly 40 percent of our food supply ends up in landfills. One company, Food Maven, is trying to change that. They are diverting unwanted foods (those in oversupply or cosmetically deficient) from landfills by getting the produce to restaurants and commercial kitchens, where less than perfect aesthetics might not doom the food to wastebaskets.
What’s on your plate?
With the Fourth of July over, you might be suffering from burger burnout but still have that urge to use the grill. Take a cue from the turducken and explore the delights of a swineapple. Because who can resist a pineapple stuffed with pork, wrapped in bacon then tossed onto the grill?
